The present invention relates generally to improvements in electronic price label (EPL) systems used in transaction establishments. More specifically, the present invention relates to improvements in EPL systems including systems and methods for an EPL to display the time remaining before a price change for an item is scheduled to occur.
EPL systems typically include a plurality of EPLs for each merchandise item in a store. EPLs display the price of corresponding merchandise items on store shelves and are typically attached to a rail along the leading edge of the shelves. A store may contain thousands of EPLs to display the prices of the merchandise items. The EPLs are coupled to a central server where information about the EPLs is typically maintained in an EPL data file. The EPL data file contains EPL identification information and EPL merchandise item information. The central server sends messages, including price change messages, to the EPLs.
It can be envisioned that occasionally a customer may pick up an item from the store shelf, and as the customer continues to shop, the product price changes before the customer gets to the register to purchase the item. Even if the price had decreased, this situation could cause the customer to believe that an incorrect price had been charged for the item. Where the price increased, customer confusion and anger might result.
Therefore, it would be desirable to provide an EPL system and method that can inform customers of price changes of items before the price changes occur.
The present invention advantageously provides methods and apparatus for informing customers of impending price changes of items in a retail establishment. According to one aspect of the present invention, an EPL computer reads an EPL data file to determine when an upcoming price change for an item is scheduled to occur. The EPL computer transmits a timer countdown message to a EPL associated with the item which includes a time remaining until a current price is to be updated with a new price. The EPL then displays the time remaining for the current price, providing valuable information to customers who are in the process of making purchasing decisions. In a presently preferred embodiment, as time passes, the EPL computer sends further timer countdown messages to the EPL containing updates of the time remaining, allow the EPL to display the updated time. According to another embodiment of the present invention, no further timer countdown messages are sent to the EPL, as the EPL includes EPL circuitry which decrements and updates the time remaining as time passes.